Wayne "Dutch" Thornton

Wayne "Dutch" Thornton, 77, Moose Lake, passed away Wednesday, November 27, 2013 in Augustana Mercy Health Care Center, Moose Lake following congestive heart failure on September 26, 2013. He was born in Crosby, MN to Ed and Ada Thornton and lived in the Crosby/Brainerd area until 1951 when the family moved to Barnum. Dutch graduated from Barnum High School in 1955 where he excelled in sports and was elected 1955 Homecoming King.

After graduation he worked at Wood Conversion Company in Cloquet until hired by Northwestern Bell Telephone in October 1955. Dutch served in the United States Army at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri for 27 months, November 1959 to February 1962. He retired in 1985 after 30 years with Northwestern Bell Telephone.

Dutch married Gail Pearson of Carlton on August 20, 1960 in "The Little Brown Church in the Vale", in Nashua, Iowa. They lived in Missouri until 1962 and at Chub Lake, south of Carlton until 1985 when they moved to Moose Lake upon retirement.

Dutch served as Carlton Scout Master 1962-1972. In 1972, he became a charter member of the Carlton Area Lions Club having been President twice, both times receiving the 100% President Award. He was appointed Lions Zone Chairman for a year and served on the Minnesota Lions Eye Bank Board for four years.
Having moved to Moose Lake in 1985, Dutch transferred to the Sturgeon Lake Area Lions Club where he was again elected President two times, appointed Zone Chairman for a year, and served as Region Chairman for two years. In 2012, Dutch achieved 40 years of 100% attendance and had received numerous awards from Lions International and the District for his work in sight, hearing, diabetes, and other fields of Lions service.

Dutch was an active member of Loyal Order of Moose for 25 years from 1985 until the Moose Lake Moose Lodge closed in 2010. He received the 1995 Volunteer of the Year award and was elected Administrator in 1996. In May of 1997, he suffered a heart attack and by doctor's orders, retired from those duties in September of that year but still helped out with other Lodge projects.
Dutch enjoyed walleye fishing, Lions and Moose Lodge activities, and helping other people.

Together, he and Gail enjoyed having traveled all 50 states, many foreign countries, and having taken many Caribbean cruises plus through the Panama Canal and around the south tip of South America.

Dutch was preceded in death by his parents, brother: Jack; sisters: Margaret and Patricia.

He is survived by his wife, Gail; two brothers: Edward (Ardelle) Thornton of Carlton and Bob (Delores) Thornton of Barnum; one sister: Carol (Doug) Gamulo of Pukalani, Maui; and many nieces and nephews.

Visitation will be from 5-7 PM Wednesday, December 4, 2013 in Hamlin-Hansen-Kosloski Funeral Home and continue from Noon until the 1 PM service Thursday, December 5, 2013 in Barnum Community United Methodist Church. Interment will follow services in Sunset Memorial Cemetery, Moose Lake.

Arrangements by Hamlin-Hansen-Kosloski Funeral Home, Moose Lake.